Building a magnetic social presence (on any platform) isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes daily, purposeful action and a commitment to engage with other people on the platforms you’re using.
You can’t afford to coast on this one—not if you want to make a real impact on social media. Good branding depends on intentional posting and engagement.
It’s not enough that you’re in the field, having conversations, showing properties, etc. You can’t be everywhere at once. Your social media presence helps you fill those gaps and reach people you might otherwise never meet.
That said, if you’re not sure what to do to grow your business on Instagram, take the Coffee & Contracts one-week challenge. Follow the schedule described below and see what it can do for your brand’s visibility and engagement on the platform.
We dare you to give it a try.
Each day has a short list of 2-3 actions to take to build your social media presence and ramp up your engagement. So, read through it now, and bookmark this page so you can come back and complete the challenge—starting with…
Monday
The first day of this one-week challenge starts with your Instagram username and display name–-two basic but critical details for your brand presence on the platform.
- Make sure you have these three keywords in either your profile: your name, your city, and your industry
- Hop on video in your Stories and ask your audience what they want to learn more about this week. Put up a poll sticker and give a few options like local spots, home hacks, first-time buyer tips, etc.
- Go to industry pages (like @coffeecontracts and @nowbam) and make a genuine interaction with at least five accounts that are commenting on the posts. Follow if you like their content/page, and comment on a recent post of theirs.
Tuesday
For the second day of the challenge, you’ll be setting up a landing page to build your email list:
- To get permission to send your audience regular, value-packed content
- To convert followers into subscribers on a platform you own
- To minimize vulnerability to account deletions or suspensions on platforms you don’t own
So, here’s the list of actions to take on Day 2:
- If you haven’t already, set up a landing page for a free resource like a buyer guide or local guide. Make sure you have this and a call to action in your bio so you can generate leads. A great resource for creating quick and easy landing pages is Leadpages.
- Reply to one of the responses you got on your question sticker yesterday with a Reel of you answering the question or going over the topic. Make the video in good lighting using minimal filters, and make sure it’s short, snappy, and engaging. Want to make the video more appealing to anyone scrolling through your Feed? Create a Reel cover for your Reel in Canva and upload this with your Reel
- Go to a local page and make a genuine interaction with at least five accounts that are commenting on posts.
Wednesday
Day 3 starts with your own spin on a carousel post. Use the tips included below but otherwise, make it your own while keeping your audience in mind. Focus on adding value and addressing your audience’s pain points.
- Create a carousel post in Canva (or use a C&C template) and make sure the cover photo is a branding photo of you. Try an interesting local topic that will keep your audience swiping through—like “My 5 favorite restaurants in Tampa” or “5 Places to See in Tampa
- Remember to only use narrow hashtags like #tampabayrealestateagent instead of #tampa or #realestate
- Schedule a preview of a hot new listing in a first-time buyer price range. Go take some videos touring it and use the question sticker to ask if anyone wants more info.
If you love two-for-ones, consider a carousel post that is also a preview of a hot new listing. That said, the more content you put out there, the more options your audience has to engage with your brand.
Thursday
Brands that engage with others tend to get more engagement. Plus, there are still plenty of people on the platform who haven’t run across your content yet. Comment on something of theirs or on a comment they’ve left and suddenly, you’re on their radar.
Green screen videos are also hugely effective for sharing and commenting on the latest headlines related to housing or the real estate industry. Get started and learn as you go.
- Go to an industry page and make a genuine interaction with at least five accounts that are commenting on your posts. Follow them if you find their content/page nice, and comment on a recent post of theirs.
- Search for an article about the housing market or news in your city. Use the Green Screen effect in Reels and summarize the article in your video. Keep it short and engaging, and don’t forget to add closed captions.
- Post a video flipping through one of your guides—like a seller guide—and use the question sticker to ask if anyone wants the download.
Friday
It’s the end of the week—and time for another engaging carousel post, using the tips here and adding some personal flair of your own.
Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. You’ll keep improving as you go. It’s worth a lot more to get started and get seen than to wait until every detail is “perfect.”
Embrace the (inevitable) imperfections and dive in.
- Create a carousel post in Canva (or use a C&C template) and make sure the cover photo is a branding photo of you. Try a storytelling style post that relates to your audience—like “How my client almost left $10K at the closing table,” or “How my clients got the house despite it already having 10 great offers.
- Post a story with the question sticker asking everyone what they’re up to this weekend. Share their answers, especially if there are any local events. Then hop on video and talk about your weekend plans: open houses, scheduled showings, any fun plans, etc.
Saturday
Your audience likes to see evidence that you’re a human being who knows how to have fun and not take yourself too seriously. So, today is about sharing some of that relatable humanness with your weekend plans and some of the things that make life more enjoyable.
- Snap some pictures AND videos of your weekend. Share these to your Stories and save the videos without any edits as well. Grab a coffee at a local coffee shop? Share it and tag the local shop. Walking around the farmer’s market? Snap a video and tag the location in your Stories. Make sure to get videos, too; we’re going to use these for tomorrow’s assignment.
- Go to a local page and make a genuine interaction with at least five accounts that are commenting on your posts.
If you’re looking to make connections with potential clients in your community, don’t pass up opportunities to connect with local businesses and shared interest groups that meet in your neighborhood.
Sunday
“Sunday Funday” is the final day of your one-week challenge. Today, you’ll take those videos you made the day before, string them together into a Reel, and share it with your audience. It’s also a good day to check in with an industry Facebook Group and engage with other members.
- Gather the videos of your weekend and put them in a quick Reel video. The title will be “A weekend in [City].” Record a voiceover walking us through your weekend. For example, “On Friday, we grabbed drinks at one of my favorite restaurants in Tampa, [Restaurant]. We got the [drinks] – so good! Saturday, we woke up and went for a walk around [trail].”
- Head over to an industry Facebook Group and answer at least three questions to network with other agents (Members, go to the C&C Facebook Group for this).
Don’t forget, if you make it through this one-week challenge, comment here on Instagram and tell me how it went, what you learned from it, and what you’ll do with your Instagram next week.
